Whether you are holidaying in Bali or working in Jakarta, online dating is by far your best chance at finding someone special in Indonesia.
It is now very common for Indonesians of any age or background to use dating apps, and the most popular ones have tens of thousands of members. Among my friends living in the country, the majority of them have met their partners online and it is no longer something to feel shameful about. To quote a famous pick-up line: No, you no longer need to pretend you've "met at the zoo" when you introduce your boyfriend or girlfriend to your parents.
As dating apps became mainstream, the quality and the diversity of the profiles have improved as well. Gone are the days when datings apps were full of creeps and freaks. Nowadays, you can definitely find a potential wife or husband, someone attractive, smart, with a good job or career with whom you can build a serious relationship.
That said, if you are a newcomer to the online dating scene in Indonesia, you may be a bit confused about how and where to start. You may also be wondering if there are things you should be cautious about in order to be 100% safe (scams, fake profiles).
I wrote this article to answer those questions. More than a ranking, it is a comprehensive guide to online dating in Indonesia which, I hope, will help you find the right person for you. Please don't hesitate to leave a comment to share about your personal experience!
Updated May 2021: After trying again all the dating apps listed below, I readjusted my ranking and changed some of my descriptions. I also removed the apps/websites that I don't find interesting anymore (Happn, Skout, Setipe, WeChat, BeeTalk, or Paktor).
These are the best online dating apps and websites in Indonesia now (Tinder is way down, scroll down to understand why I hate this app):
Bumble: For high-quality matches
It is currently my favorite app in Jakarta because, even though it doesn't have thousands of profiles like Tinder, most girls using it are educated and they have jobs. There are also many foreign girls using it, especially in Bali.
Another thing I like about Bumble is that they have an excellent moderation team. There are much fewer scammers than on other apps as they will remove anyone who is trying to sell you something. They will also delete those who are just advertising their social media without actually replying to any messages.
Pros:
➝ Smart and educated girls
➝ High proportion of foreign girls (especially in Bali)
➝ No need to message the girls first (a great feature for those who hate having to make the first move)
➝ There is a video call feature within the app
Pros:
➝ Smart and educated girls
➝ High proportion of foreign girls (especially in Bali)
➝ No need to message the girls first (a great feature for those who hate having to make the first move)
➝ There is a video call feature within the app
Cons:
➝ You can't chat with a girl if you don't match with her
➝ Impossible to know which girls are online or not
IndonesianCupid.com: Best for those who don't live in Indonesia
You are living abroad but you would like to meet an Indonesian girl? IndonesiaCupid is probably the best app for you.
Unlike Bumble, it is a more traditional dating website that is part of a large network. Its sister websites include FilipinoCupid, Muslima (for dating Muslim girls), Thai Cupid, Vietnam Cupid, etc.
Most Indonesian girls on IndonesianCupid are looking to meet foreigners, hoping for a serious relationship. Because of this, they won't turn you down if you say you are currently in the US, in Europe, or in Australia. As a result, many are also willing to have a long-distance relationship.
Girls on IndonesianCupid are mostly from the middle class. Typically, you'll chat with employees, teachers, nurses, etc.
Since it is a website and not a mobile phone app, I find it much easier to write messages or browse profiles compared to Bumble. Another advantage is that you can see which girls are online among those you've chatted with before. This enables you to keep in touch with someone even if you don't chat regularly with her.Most Indonesian girls on IndonesianCupid are looking to meet foreigners, hoping for a serious relationship. Because of this, they won't turn you down if you say you are currently in the US, in Europe, or in Australia. As a result, many are also willing to have a long-distance relationship.
Girls on IndonesianCupid are mostly from the middle class. Typically, you'll chat with employees, teachers, nurses, etc.
You can register here: Sign-Up to Indonesian Cupid for Free. I recommend you to update to the premium version though (only 25$ per month) as it will allow you to send an unlimited number of messages. It will also give you the edge compared to the other guys in terms of visibility.
Pros:
➝ The best dating site in Indonesia if you are a tourist. Ideal for arranging dates prior to visiting the country. Girls won't mind if you are not living in Indonesia and if you are older than them.
➝ Between 500-1000 Indonesian girls online at any time, but thousands more who were active in the past week or month (you have filters to do that).
➝ Possibility to look for girls in other countries (Thailand, Philippines, etc)
➝ Good website interface, easy to use, and fast.
➝ Fast chatting application
➝ Mostly serious girls who are interested in relationships
➝ Detailed profiles
Cons:
➝ The free version is too restricted (not a problem if you can afford 25$)
➝ No mobile app
OkCupid is a crossover between a traditional matchmaking site like IndonesiaCupid and a dating app like Bumble. It is one of my favorites to use in Indonesia though it isn't always perfect.
The advantage of OkCupid is that you can add a huge amount of information about yourself, from your political ideas to your eating habits or sexual preferences. This can really help you find someone very specific, for instance, someone who is a vegan or someone who likes bungee jumping. You can also check your "match percentage" with any member to evaluate your compatibility with that person.
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| Match percentage on OkCupid is based on the questions you answer about your personality |
Another feature is that you can change your location for free in the settings. This can both be useful (if you are traveling) or annoying as you may match with users who aren't where they say they are.
Pros:
➝ Mostly free
➝ Both an app and a website
➝ Possibility to be very detailed in your description
➝ Excellent search function, ideal for people with specific taste
➝ You can predict your compatibility with someone using the "match percentage"
Cons:
➝ You can only swipe a limited number of profiles per day in the free version
➝ Quite many useless profiles (fakes, prostitutes, scams, or simply girls who never reply to messages)
Seeking.com: Famous Sugar Dating Site
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This dating site is quite unique and controversial. All girls there are "sugar babies" who are willing to go on a date in exchange for gifts, money, travels, or dinners. All guys are "sugar daddies" (not necessarily old) who are willing to sponsor the girls.
Surprisingly, Seeking.com is a hit in Indonesia and you can find thousands of very attractive profiles on the site. Lots of girls are not only gorgeous but they are also educated, smart and fun to be with. It seems that for many Indonesian girls, securing a rich husband or boyfriend is a sign of success more than something to be ashamed of.
Surprisingly, Seeking.com is a hit in Indonesia and you can find thousands of very attractive profiles on the site. Lots of girls are not only gorgeous but they are also educated, smart and fun to be with. It seems that for many Indonesian girls, securing a rich husband or boyfriend is a sign of success more than something to be ashamed of.
Guys who use this website are a diverse bunch. You have many married men who are looking for a mistress, some executives on business trips, or some expats who want to date a young girl. I know quite a few friends who found their girlfriend through this site and they are now in happy relationships. The advantage of Seeking.com compared to other dating sites is that things are more straightforward and that, as a man, you will get much more replies from girls.
Pros:
➝ Much more girls than guys so you are guaranteed to meet someone
➝ Many gorgeous, upper-class, and classy girls
➝ Girls are easy to talk to, friendly, and they will often accept going on a date
➝ Straight-forward
➝ International website: You can use it to meet people in Indonesia but also anywhere else in the world.
Cons:
➝ Expensive (but it's free to register and to browse the girl's profiles)
➝ There are some real sugar babies looking for chemistry, but also some prostitutes
Cons:
➝ Expensive (but it's free to register and to browse the girl's profiles)
➝ There are some real sugar babies looking for chemistry, but also some prostitutes
➝ The website is blocked in some countries (if you can't access it, you will need to use a VPN)
Tinder: For younger guys living in Jakarta
Tinder used to be the best dating app in Indonesia, but this is no longer the case. There are so many things I hate about it now that I wouldn't know where to start.
The biggest misconception about Tinder is that it is a free app. While this is technically true, in fact, its whole business model revolves around making you pay as much as possible. A male user who doesn't pay for Tinder will probably struggle to get any matches unless his profile is really attractive.
One way for guys to get more matches is to use the"Boost" feature:
A boost costs around US$4 and it can be addictive. You will get more matches at first, but as soon as you stop, you will get nothing. So you'll keep boosting your profile, again and again, matching with girls who are often not really interested to chat.
The biggest misconception about Tinder is that it is a free app. While this is technically true, in fact, its whole business model revolves around making you pay as much as possible. A male user who doesn't pay for Tinder will probably struggle to get any matches unless his profile is really attractive.
One way for guys to get more matches is to use the"Boost" feature:
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| A "boost" allows you to be the top profile in an area for 30 minutes |
Another way to be more successful on Tinder is to subscribe to either Tinder +, Tinder Gold, or Tinder Platinum. These cost between US$5 per month and US$25 per month. They will allow you to see who liked you, to swipe right an unlimited amount of time, or to message someone you didn't match with yes.
I've tried these subscriptions, but one problem remained, even after getting plenty of matches: The overall quality of Tinder users is low. From a guy's perspective, at least half the profiles are useless: Between girls selling something (cryptocurrencies, forex, property, insurances, etc), the scammers, the prostitutes, the ones who don't reply, and those advertising their Instagram account, it is actually rare to match with an interesting person who is willing to chat or meet in real life.
Pros:
➝ You can "like" (swipe right) up to 50 profiles per day for free
➝ Thousands of Indonesian girls are using it
Cons:
➝ Low quality of users
➝ You cannot see which girls are online
➝ Very limited possibilities with the free account
Read my article: 10 Reasons You Are Failing at Tinder
Instagram: For guys who have an interesting life
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Yes, Instagram can be considered a dating app in Indonesia. I know some guys who've met dozens of girls using it. What's great with this app is that you can just try your luck with anyone in the world.
Of course, this will only work if your Instagram profile is interesting enough for a random girl/guy to accept your follow request and to answer your chat. If you are a traveler, or if you have a good eye for photography, you should be able to do that easily, though.
Pros:
➝ Free
➝ There are more girls on Instagram than on any other dating websites (probably 90% of Indonesians?)
➝ It is easy to find a topic to start a conversation (just comment on a photo)
Cons:
➝ You need to create and maintain an interesting Instagram account
➝ Many girls are not single or not actively looking for a boyfriend
➝ Time-consuming
Badoo: For guys who can speak Indonesian
Badoo used to be a decent dating website/app for Indonesia but it is clearly not as good as it used to be. By being mostly free (or cheap at least), it has become popular mostly among the Indonesian low-to-middle class. For a foreigner, this means fewer people who can speak English and a wider culture gap with them.
Most chats in Badoo are very superficial, limited to boring phrases like "sudah makan", "lagi apa", or "asli mana". Furthermore, online prostitution on the app is a problem. Many of the most attractive members are using fake profiles to advertise sexual services. After a while, you learn to spot them easily but it is still annoying.
Pros:
➝ Lots of girls online
➝ Fun, colorful website interface with large photos (but also slower to load)
➝ Both a website and an app with geo-localization
➝ Cheaper than other websites
Cons:
➝ Privacy concern (they sent advertising emails to all my contact on my behalf saying I was inviting them to join Badoo)
➝ Many, many prostitutes, and fake accounts
➝ Many girls can't speak English well
➝ Because it is cheaper, there are more guys on Badoo. This means it is harder to get girls' attention and your messages may be ignored. You can get seen/read before other guys but you need to pay extra money (even if you are already a premium user).
Adult Friend Finder
Note that the website is currently blocked by the government so you'll need to download a VPN to access it. I've written an article here Best VPN in Indonesia to help you with it.
Pros:
➝ If you are not looking for dating but for sex, this is the best website to use
➝ Number 1 hooking website in the World
Cons:
➝ 90% guys and 10% girls so you need to make a really neat profile to succeed. Being handsome would help.
➝ You won't get very far with the Free Version so you'll need to buy a premium membership
➝ Blocked in Indonesia: You must use a VPN to access it freely.
What's Your Best Dating App in Indonesia?
These are some of the best dating apps and websites in Indonesia. Did I miss any? Is there one that you would recommend? Please leave a comment below if you do.